


Getting Over Rebecca

by HeartBash



Category: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV)
Genre: 3x07, Angst, Canon Divergent, F/M, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 20:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12943338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartBash/pseuds/HeartBash
Summary: Nathaniel tries to get over Rebecca with poor results.





	Getting Over Rebecca

**Author's Note:**

> I envision these scenes occurring during S3E7 "Getting Over Jeff."

Thursday Afternoon  
Offices of Plimpton, Plimpton, & Plimpton

Since he delivered the roses to Rebecca last week, Nathaniel had not heard a peep from her. He made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t contact her in any way. He didn’t want to burden her with his feelings, especially since he knew she was going through such a difficult time.

He had to get his updates on her well-being through Paula, who was becoming visibly increasingly annoyed by his daily check-ins. The first few days he came up with any excuse to segue into asking about her:

“Rebecca would have done a great job on that Murray Realty Group case. Speaking of, how is she doing?”

“I see Rebecca left her Harvard sweatshirt at her desk. Maybe someone should bring it to her. Never mind, that’s silly. But really, do you think she needs it? Is she doing ok without it?”

“Eating a donut? You know who loves donuts? Rebecca. Since we’re on the topic, how is she?”

On the fourth day in a row, Paula, exasperated to see him approaching her desk yet again, preempted any small talk and said through her teeth, “She’s ok, Nathaniel. Please stop asking. I’ll tell you if something changes.” Taken aback by her obvious irritation, he simply replied, “Ok.” He walked back into his office and shut the door. Through the glass Paula saw him sit down at his desk and put his face in his hands. She got a glimpse of how much he really cared about her at the timeshare resort and she felt a rush of empathy for him.

She got up and knocked tentatively on his office door. He looked up from his hands and motioned for her to come in. She closed the door behind her and sat in the chair across from him. 

“Listen, I know you care about her,” she started. His face fell, anticipating where this conversation was going. “But you know she’s going through a pretty intense time right now. Your feelings have to take a back seat to her getting on track with her treatment.”

“I know that,” he said, defeated. “And I’m really trying. I’m trying to move on. I just can’t get her out of my head. I keep wondering if she’s ok. And I feel like I should apologize to her.”

Paula looked confused. “Apologize for what?”

Nathaniel’s hands fidgeted restlessly and he avoided Paula’s eyes. “I was so...blinded by my own stupid, weak emotions that I totally missed the signs that she was in a bad place.” He shook his head and looked embarrassed. “Looking back...it should have been obvious to me. I’m such an idiot. I mean, what if I could have-”

Paula vehemently shook her head and cut him off. “No, no. Stop right there. There’s nothing you could have done.” She paused. “Hey, look at me” she said gently. He finally met her gaze and she could see the regret all over him. “She was on a runaway train with no brakes. She was headed for rock bottom and there’s nothing any of us could have done to prevent it.”

He nodded solemnly, acknowledging this truth and letting it settle. After a few moments he rose from his chair and cleared his throat, trying to regain his professional demeanor. 

Paula took that as a cue and stood to leave. “If you don’t mind my asking, what happened between you and Rebecca anyway?” she hesitantly asked.

He gave her a half-smile. “I’ll let her fill you in...if she wants to. But it doesn’t matter now anyway.”

“Rebecca is coming with me to Buffalo this weekend - that’s where I grew up. Maybe I’ll get the juicy details out of her. Anyway, when I come back Monday I’ll make sure to have a big update for you, ok?”

“Ok,” he said with a sad smile. “Hey Paula, thanks for understanding. Really.”

She just nodded and left his office.

Sunday night  
Nathaniel’s Apartment

All weekend Nathaniel was in getting-over-Rebecca mode. He tried to keep himself as busy as possible, going to the gym multiple times, catching up on some work, and even indulging in a binge-watch of a nature documentary series on Netflix. 

Nathaniel was finishing his last batch of smoothies for the upcoming work week when there was a knock at his door. Since he didn’t know many people in the area, he couldn’t imagine who it would be. He was shocked to see Rebecca standing at his door. She looked relaxed in a loose sweater and jeans - a stark juxtaposition to the last time she was at his apartment.

“Well well well, if it isn’t Nathaniel,” she said slyly.

“You came to MY apartment,” he quipped. 

“Right, so I’ll be quick,” she said, walking past him and letting herself in. He shut the door and followed her into the living room. “When you came to my apartment before I unceremoniously had my epic breakdown, you said something to me that I didn’t properly acknowledge,” she said all in one breath. “You said....well, you said…”

“...that I have feelings for you,” he finished in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Right, that’s the one.” He could sense she was anxious about this whole interaction, and waves of frantic energy were spilling off of her. She started pacing back and forth, gesturing broadly with her hands as she spoke. “I came to let you know that you’re off the hook for that. You didn’t know my whole past and my wildly rampant mental health issues, aka undiagnosed personality disorder, so...we can just forget anything happened and go back to how things were before…well, before...”

“...we had sex?” he finished for her again.

“Right, right that. So...we’re good?” 

He didn’t say anything for several moments, trying to absorb everything she had said. “Listen Rebecca, I don’t want to be ‘let off the hook,’” he said, gesturing with air quotes. She stopped pacing and finally looked at him.

“What?”

“Rebecca, I have feelings for you. Full stop. What I’ve learned about you doesn’t make those feelings just disappear.”

Rebecca shook her head, as if she couldn’t comprehend this response. “Nathaniel, you’re not getting it. What I was diagnosed with...it isn’t something I’m going to a 30-day treatment for and then I’m fine. Or something the right medication will suddenly fix. It’s something I’m going to be dealing with the rest of my life.” Her energy suddenly dampened, the full weight of her words hanging in the air. She sat on his couch and put her hands in her lap.

He took a seat next to her. “I do know and I’ve done research. Listen, if you don’t reciprocate my feelings, that’s ok. I can handle it. After all, you apparently think I’m an “amoral sociopath,” so...I get it. And if a relationship is detrimental to your treatment and therapy in any way, I can accept that too. I can leave you alone if that’s what you want. I can try to move on. But what I don’t want is for you to walk away thinking I stopped having feelings for you because of this.”

“Why?” she asked so softly he barely heard it. 

“Why what?”

“How could you...? After everything you’ve seen me do and say…?” she asked with tears in her eyes. 

His heart ached for her. He took both of her hands in his. “Rebecca...there are so many reasons. You’re smart. You challenge me and no one ever challenges me,” he said with a smirk. “You care about the people around you. You fight for them. You’re loyal to them. And you’re so...in touch with your emotions, which is something I obviously need to work on. If you’re happy, it’s infectious. You light up a room.” With a soft laugh he added, “And the sex was...well...”

That got a smile from her. “It was, wasn’t it?” 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “Thank you.” He held her and buried his nose in her hair. She was warm and soft. He suddenly realized that it may be the last time they touched like this. He squeezed her a little tighter. 

She pulled away and then abruptly pressed her mouth to his. This took him by surprise and he didn’t move for a moment. But then he sprang to life, cupping her face in both his hands and kissing her deeply. She kept inching closer to him until she finally moved to straddle his lap.

He pulled away from the kiss and pushed her gently away, “Wait, wait.”

“What?”

“Are you sure this is ok? You haven’t even told me about how your treatment is going. Is it ok for you to be doing this?”

Her eyes widened with shock, as if he had slapped her across the face. “Excuse me? What, I’m crazy now, so I can’t make decisions for myself?”

“No, that’s not -”

She got up off his lap. “What, you think because I let you fuck me once that now you know me and what I need?” Her face showed immediate regret as soon as the words came tumbling out.

“Ouch,” he said and looked down at the floor.

She took a deep breath and covered her face with her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

“It’s ok.”

“No, it’s not actually,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I’m trying to take responsibility for my actions and I thought I was doing that by coming here. But now I feel like I’ve just screwed things up even more,” she said, her voice dripping with self-hatred. 

“Maybe it is better for you if we don’t see each other,” he replied with obvious sadness. He stood, “Rebecca, I really appreciate the gesture of you coming here. I do. But...I suspect that you probably don’t feel the same way as I do and if we continue like this it might hurt both of us.”

Rebecca bit her lip, holding back tears. She nodded and then slowly walked toward the door.

“Rebecca wait,” he stopped her. “Please know that this is killing me right now. And if anything changes…I’m here.”

She nodded slowly again and then left.

He immediately picked up his phone and scrolled quickly until he found the contact he needed. He cursed at the voicemail message he received, “Paula, I need to talk to you. It can’t wait until tomorrow. It’s about Rebecca. Please call me as soon as you get this.”

**Author's Note:**

> Email: heartbashfic@gmail.com


End file.
